Spurs coach calls out Victor Wembanyama ahead of must-win Game 6

The San Antonio Spurs couldn't keep their foot on the gas in a pivotal Game 5 vs. the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Now, the defending champions will have a chance to punch their ticket to the NBA Finals on Thursday when they visit Frost Bank Center.

Mark Daigneault's team did a great job of disrupting Victor Wembanyama's offensive rhythm, denying him the ball and preventing him from posting up and driving, so he had to settle for outside jumpers. 

That's why, after the game, Spurs coach Mitch Johnson put the French star on notice, demanding that he take more shots and vowing to find a way to give him more freedom.

Mitch Johnson wants Victor Wembanyama to be more aggressive

“[Victor's] got to take more than 15 shots,” Johnson said. “Even with the [12] free throws, he's going to have to score more than 20 points for sure…Oklahoma City did a good job. We've got to do a better job.” 

Of course, Johnson knows it's not entirely up to the former No. 1 pick. The Spurs must be better as a collective. They allowed the Thunder to shoot 48 percent from the floor and 44 percent from beyond the arc while only making 29 percent of their three-pointers.

“He'll definitely need to take more shots, but there's a lot of things all over the place. Even when we had advantages, we just didn't make simple plays and take advantage of the opportunity, that possession. In this type of game, you've got to be sure of everything you're doing in a very secure, mature way,” Johnson said.

Wembanyama finished the game with 20 points on 4-of-15 shooting, adding just six rebounds, one assist, two steals and three blocks while failing to hit any of his five attempts from three-point range.

Still, we've already seen what he's capable of, and with the season on the line, the 7-foot-4 phenom could be up for the performance of a lifetime on Thursday night.